Last but not least think things, flowers, bees, bears, plants, sun, moon, stars, dogs, cats, fish, turtles, snakes, bats, reptiles, and mammals but there’s more to add but not right now.

That’s my Nouns of Nature poem.

— Jaeda Meno, third grade

I Am

I am nice and loving.

I wonder what I will look like when I’m a teenager.

I hear my family watching TV.

I see the TV.

I want a limo.

I am nice and loving.

I pretend to be a rock star.

I feel good.

I touch my computer.

I worry if I get kicked out of school.

I cry when my mom and dad fight.

I am nice and loving.

I understand English.

I say, “I’m a winner.”

I dream about my family.

I try to not hurt myself.

I hope I go to the Philippines.

I am nice and loving.

— Lyka Panti, second grade

I Am

I am nice and careful.

I wonder why my baby sister cries a lot at our house.

I hear lots of kids yelling.

I see a lot of cars.

I want a limo.

I am nice and careful.

I pretent to be a super hero.

I feel happy.

I touch a lizard.

I worry about my baby sister.

I cry when I am sad.

I am nice and careful.

I understand I have to stay here.

I say that I am cool.

I dream to be a super hero.

I try to fly.

I hope to be a star.

I am nice and careful.

— Rogelio Arrendondo, second grade

I Am

I am special and nice.

I wonder why some people are nice.

I hear wonderful sounds.

I see a mouse in the bank.

I want a toy.

I pretend to be a cat.

I feel sad.

I am special and nice.

I touch a snake.

I worry about my cousin.

I cry because my mom spanks me.

I am special and nice.

I understand that I am not going to some body hourse.

I say, “Can I be your friend.”

I dream about Korea.

I try to eat my food.

I hope I grow up.

I am special and nice.

— Brenden Heo, second grade

I Am

I am nice and happy.

I wonder about a DS computer.

I hear a fan.

I see a tall building.

I want Wii games.

I am nice and happy.

I pretend I watch a movie when I go to sleep.

I feel excited.

I touch my legs.

I worry about my friend in Iceland.

I would cry if someone stole $100 dollars from me.

I am nice and happy.

I understand my friends are true.

I say, “I want a friend.”

I dream I had all the Wii games and all the remotes.

I try to do my best.

I hope I am an astronaut.

I am nice and happy.

— Eythor Thorisson, second grade

I Am

I am nice and pretty.

I wonder about my room.

I hear a car.

I see Disney Land.

I want a cup cake maker.

I am nice and pretty.

I pretend to ride a scooter.

I feel happy.

I wished I touched a shar.

I worry about my room.

I cry when my sister won’t let me do something.

I am nice and pretty.

I understand you can walk.

I say, “I have to do my home work.”

I dream I have all the toys.

I try to do good.

I hope I can become a doctor.

I am nice and pretty.

— Adriana Edwards, second grade

The Rain

I really love the rain

It’s just as fun at watching trains

I love to look at it and play in it

Love the smell of it

And to spin in it

Even though it makes my hair puffy

I love it like a brand new puppy

— Niyanna Pinnock, kindergarten

Blueberries

I like blueberries.

I eat blueberries.

I can smell blueberries.

Blueberries are blue and

they make me glad too!!!

— Kira Wooden, kindergarten

I have a dog

I sat on a log.

I don’t like frogs.

I have pink clogs, and it’s hard to see in the fog.

— Kaci Canady, kindergarten

Grape Jelly

I love grape jelly — it tastes yummy in my belly

I like to eat it all the time, on bread it’s my favorite kind

I make a sandwich everyday

I always make it before I play

I ask for it when I come home from school,

Sometimes I eat it with just a spoon

You should try peanut butter sometimes too,

But whatever you pick is up to you!

— Jordan Johnson, kindergarten

Frog hops in a lake

Snakes slide across a log

Dogs chase only 1 fat cat

— Anthony Buggs, kindergarten

What I Like

The things that I like are playing games,

But sometimes it might get lame!

I always wanted a dog; and boy they are the size of logs!

I love playing with my Dad but I sometimes get mad.

I like playing with my class and that will always last!

— Rodney Capers, kindergarten

My name is Donovan

I am number 3 of 4.

Animals and the game, Sonic, I like to explore.

My mommy says I am the sweetest and kindest of the bunch,

but I am very shy, even though I always have a hunch.

It is not that I am not smart, I am just unsure.

My teacher, Mrs. Anderson, always pushes me to score an “encore”!

— Donovan Bolt, kindergarten

I love chocolate

Because it tastes so sweet,

I love chocolate,

Because it is always so good to eat.

Yummy to my tummy

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate

I love chocolate because it looks like me!

— Josias Addison, kindergarten

Color poems

If I were white

I’d be a big lump of vanilla ice cream

Or a white fur jacket

In the winter snow.

— Tavia Nash, second grade

If I were gold

I’d be the winning trophy

Or a funky shirt that says “I rock”

In the spotlight on the stage

— Jermoni Washington, second grade

If I were pink

I’d be a prickly but pretty rose

Or a fancy car for a diva

In the fast lane.

— Taylor Tucker, second grade

If I were orange

I’d be a giant sandcastle

Or an especially sharp pencil

In the writer’s hand.

— Josiah Johnson, second grade

If I were blue

I’d be the background of an artist’s painting

Or a friendly dolphin splashing

In an ocean full of waves.

— Elise Lee, second grade

Cheetahs

Eating antelopes

Sneaking quietly on prey

Now in Africa

— Fabian Bridges, second grade

Eagles

Proudly soaring high

Dropping down to pull up prey

Going back to its nest

— Isaiah Hamlette, second grade

Chinchilla

Furry chinchilla

Shaking and hiding in fear

Blending to survive

— DeKira Wilson, second grade

Fossil Poem

Fantastic memories of the past

Old remains of the earth’s creatures

Some are bones, footprints, teeth or claws

Scientists who study them are paleontologists

Interesting places tell wordless stories

Long ago, the dinosaurs ruled but now have died

— Jermain Blanchard, second grade

Frozen by ice or covered in mud

Other softer parts rotted, leaving imprints

Scientists called paleontologists study them

Sometimes, scientists make mistakes with the bones

Impossible to solve all of the mysteries of the past

Leaving pictures of life long ago in my mind

— Myracle Broner, second grade

RICHLAND NORTHEAST HIGH

When Sorrow Comes to You

(After Matthew Dickman)

When Sorrow comes to you

as a grey elephant,

You have to push two beds together

and make her comfortable,

even though you truly want her

to leave.

She has been here before.

I stare at my watch,

and tell her I'm tired,

hinting for her to leave."Why are you here?"

I cannot make eye contact

with her.

She pulls a box of tissues

from beneath a fold of skin.

I push them away,

refusing her offer.

I bury my head in my

clammy palms.

— Geoffrey Corvi, ninth grade, PCA Literary Arts

Six Ways of Looking at a Fallen Tree Trunk

I.

The fallen tree trunk is rough,

sturdy, mottled where insects

have chewed away its bark.

II.

The fallen tree trunk is an uncle

who passes out on the couch

after Thanksgiving supper.

III.

The fallen tree trunk is a pit

stop for weary hikers. It is

a termite tenement. It is

a poster child for Earth Day.

IV.

The fallen tree turnk is not

a renewable energy source.

V."Help!" cries the fallen tree trunk."I've fallen and I can't get up!"

VI.

The fallen tree trunk didn't

make a sound when it fell

because no one was around

to hear it.

— William Dye, 12th grade, PCA Literary Arts

Art

A crudely drawn cat

with stick legs and one ear

displayed higher than any creation

I had made in that room.

There were days when I sat

reflecting on age and wisdom only tothrow crumpled balls to the floor.

Bring me lowered expectations.

Make me a child again,

so that when I create,

it's for presentation, not novelty.

Bring me ages three, four, five

before postulates and formulas

or rhetoric and analysis.

Make my refrigerator

my stage again.

Rid it of mediocrity and"He could do better work."

Bring me art class before there were lines

to draw outside of.

— Ben Catoe, 12th grade, PCA Literary Arts

My South

is Charleston, SC where

my whole family is.

The weekends are cookouts in

Aunt Janie's yard, where buckets

of crab legs

are thrown on the cracked

wooden table.

Easter Sunday is gettin up at six

Great Grandma's A.M.E. church

for sunrise service — eatin' grits and bacon afterward.

Summer is sippin' sweet red Kool-aid

doin' the electric slide.

It's the beauty shop that carries smoke from

hot combs, where you find out why Miss Sherylis datin' her client's boyfriend.

In my South, there's no huchin shoulders at your elders

and even if you get a spankin, there's a hug and kiss afterward.

— Ashley Cohen-Burnell, 12th grade, PCA Literary Arts

Granddaddy

What keep popping up in my head is what happen;

He was not just a man, he was my twin, aka Granddaddy;

Around the table we'd laugh, talk, joke, and cut up together;

It seems like it was just yesterday, being naive,

just wishing this moment could last forever.

I would always come in, give him a hug & say, "Hey Granddaddy;"

He would always cut me off and say, "Kia gon head & fix you a sandwich."

He knew everything about me just like a book;

If something was wrong,

i could be silent & he could tell something was up;

What I’m going to really miss is his smiling face;

that always came with a glow and a warm embrace.

Never will nobody take his place.

I know i asked earlier what happened, but it's not for me to question God;

I know fo' sho' I got another Guardian Angel to look after me when times get hard;

At times I may get weak or my eyes may start to leak,

I just kneel down on my knees, to pray for guidance with this grief.

Life is too short & precious to hold on to grudges;

so could you please change some of this hate, anger, & animosity to loving!

I have lost a lot of love ones through the years,

and shed o' so many tears;

but just remember to live your life right;

live it to the fullest, b/c we do not know, when our time is near...

— Malakia Hutto, senior

The Carriage Ride

(after Roger Mitchell)

I am not sure why I want to tell it,

Since the carriage was not mine

And I was not there. But when I tell it,

The carriage rocks rhythmically

And the horses' hooves of pound

The lanky president and his wife

Mother we must resolve to be happy

For we have our whole future ahead of us.

His eyes filled before with grief,

Shine brighter. Hands entwined,

She looks at him. "Tonight we will go

To the theatre. I know you will love it.""Mother, I always enjoy your company."

— Carrie McIntosh, ninth grade, PCA Literary Arts

Wounded

(after Roger Mitchell)

I am not sure why I want to tell it since the hand

was not mine, and I was not there.

But when I tell it, he stands among his flalen

army. They don't have blankets

to protect them against the winter chill.

None of them aware he's staring.

None aware he feels every pain inflicted

upon them. Then one of the fallen reaches up,

Perhaps not to him, but somehow their hands meet,

In every version, everywhere, they grip

each other until one loses

strength and drops to the ground.

— Gaal Almor, ninth grade, PCA Literary Arts

Inauguration 2009

"The wisdom of broken soldiers"

I. I didn't eat breakfast and decided to let the growls of an empty

stomach to consume me.

II. While pressing the Winter Blues uniform I scream at the four walls

what I knew or thought I knew.

III. "You might ... you will win honor platoon" Sergeant Major says

noticing how we have become one.

IV. "Changing the color of your skin will not change you"

Looking at the new scars and trying to forget them from training.

Was it worth it?

— ChriSean Blanche, ninth grade, PCA Literary Arts

The Story of the Red Pillow

Written in celebration of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday

I am not sure why I want to tell it

Since the pillow was not mine and I was not there.

And, at first, it may not have been red.

But when I tell it, though, it is red.

Bursting through the doors, they thrust him

across the bed the wrong way.

His limbs limp and long,

his fingers gnarled in pain.

The doctor probes once more,

not finding the bullet.

Propping his head on the pillow,

that may or may not have been red.

The next morning,

The pillow, now red,

is in its proper position.

— Kamry Goodwin, ninth grade, PCA Literary Arts

Why did it take so long?

January 20, 2009

"here where the pine trees bleed..."*

I. Today is tomorrow's yesterday. The past has weighed us down too long.

II. Another South Carolinian soldier died yesterday. What's left of his body will be sent back. Now he is torn. We are torn. He was at war

protecting me. A war we shouldn't even be fighting.

III. Things change, even when people don't want them to. The old forest that rested behind our backyard for years was ravished by wood hungry builders yesterday. The world is changing. The world has changed. I stare at clear cut space and pick up the last leaf.

* Kwame Dawes, "New Day"

— Molly Shields, ninth grade, PCA Literary Arts

SPRING VALLEY HIGH

Silence

That which you see, that which you don’t,

The pain you’ll feel, the death you won’t,

Through the darkness within, a light shines out,

The want, the need, to scream, to shout,

To break the silence, through all, throughout,

On Earth there is silence, it’s all that’s left,

The silence is shadows, the shadows are death.

— Ryland Sundby, 10th grade

SUMMIT PARKWAY MIDDLE

Second Chances

I’m starting over,

Gaining a second chance

In a life

That I thought was

So screwed up.

Second chances

Are all I need,

To tell you the truth,

I really just

Need to appreciate

Myself

For who I am

Not who I

Unrealistically

Want to be.

I’m changing,

I think,

Better and better - every

Single day

See, my heartache has started

to melt away.

— Abigail Hall, eighth grade

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